Nelly Furtado speaks about her breakdown

Nelly Furtado had a breakdown when she first became famous.

The 'Maneater' singer admits she initially struggled to cope with the pressures of fame and would spend a great deal of time alone, even though it seemed she was enjoying her life.

She said: "Fame took me by surprise and I ended up having a breakdown. It was too much too soon. After two years of intense touring and partying I'd spend hours alone in my LA home, just staring at the floor. I felt like a fraud, believing that people liked me for my image and not my music."

Although she has recovered, Nelly - who is married to sound engineer Demacio Castellon and has a six-year-old daughter from a previous relationship - admits she would like to spend more time by herself but her lifestyle doesn't allow it.

She told Britain's Live! magazine: "There are times when I long to be a hermit living in a cottage. I often crave that sort of solitude. But having a husband and a daughter tends to get in the way of that."